MESILA

Working from Home —

and Making It Work! Part 1

I have worked as a graphic artist at a small company for a few years, and now I have the opportunity of doing the same work from home. This would give me increased flexibility, so I am tempted to go for it. 

My question is: How do I work from home without being constantly disturbed by neighbors, children, relatives, and other distractions? And how do I keep myself disciplined enough to do my work when there are a million things begging to be done all around me?

A few years back, when this question first came in, the option of working at home was a relative rarity. In the COVID-19 era, it has practically become the norm. 

Working at home has numerous advantages. It gives you greater flexibility, eliminates travel time, and allows you to be more available to your family. It also saves you money on transportation, wardrobe costs, and rental of office space. In addition, working at home can result in significant tax savings, since many home office expenses can be claimed as deductions from your income.

But there are also drawbacks. For one thing, there are many distractions in a home office, such as personal phone calls, domestic tasks that need to be attended to, and interruptions by family members and visitors. 

It can be very tempting to throw in a load of laundry, make a quick call, or prepare lunch when working at home. It is difficult to juggle home and work responsibilities when both revolve around the same geographic location.

In an office, the end of the workday is clearly demarcated. Home-based workers have a harder time ending their day. There is more of a temptation to “just finish up” or to take work-related phone calls at all times of the day. 

Another drawback of working at home is the lack of social interaction and the resulting feeling of isolation. Office environments can be conducive to team spirit and healthy competition; these motivating factors are absent when you work alone, at home. In addition, not getting out of the house to go to work means that you do not get away from any stress or frustration you experience — at home or at work.

To avoid these drawbacks and reap the rewards of working at home, you need to treat your work-from-home as a regular office job and create a home office environment that is conducive to success. 

As in most areas of personal finance and business, being disciplined is one of the primary keys to success. The first essential requirement for effective work from home is the establishment of boundaries for both your time and your space. Here are some helpful guidelines:

Establish set times for work. Create a realistic work schedule, including a set starting and ending time, and take this schedule seriously. Without a clearly-defined work schedule, the distinction between home and work can be blurred, with family time turning into work time and vice versa. To avoid the feeling that you are always at work, you need fixed work hours.

Notify your family and friends of your schedule. During work hours, close the door to your office and let calls go to your voice mail. If you respect your work time, others will, too. 

By the same token, you need to respect your family life. Working from home does not mean that you always have to be available for work. Resist the temptation to work late and avoid the urge to answer work-related phone calls during family time.

Although it is important to avoid interruptions, it is also important to schedule breaks that will help your productivity without distracting you from your work responsibilities. 

Once you have created a work schedule that suits your needs, you can enjoy the benefits of the flexibility that working at home provides. You need enough discipline to stick to your schedule most of the time, but you can occasionally adjust your schedule to the demands of work or family. The key is to ensure that this flexibility works to your advantage, rather than hampering your work or disturbing your personal life.

For those working from home freelance, keep in mind that, unlike a salaried position, if the work does not get done, you do not get paid. This reminder should help you to stay focused and fight the temptation to take a “quick break” to clean the kitchen.

For people who “telecommute” from home, it is important to remember that using work time for personal needs is essentially stealing from the company. Workers who get paid by the hour must be scrupulous in recording their time, or spell out with their employer what breaks are allowed.

More tips for successful work at home in the next installment.